Self-winding clock.



H. B. TAYLOR.

SELF WINDING CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1 1, 191a.

Patented May 23, 1916.

OO O 000 v INVENTOR ATTORNEY WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFCE.

HAROLD B. TAYLOR, OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA.

SELF-WINDING CLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 1916.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HAROLD B. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of ilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Self-Vinding Clocks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to self-winding clocks and particularly to clocks of the automatic electrically wound type.

The object of my invention is to provide an automatic self-winding clock that is controlled by the torques of its main spring and an auxiliary spring.

Self-winding clocks have been used to some extent, and various methods of con trolling the winding mechanism have been employed. Some methods of controlling the winding mechanism are defective in that they depend on definite time intervals for winding, but in my invention, the means for controlling the winding motor is dependent upon the torques of the main spring and of an auxiliary spring.

My invention has the advantage that the forcesacting upon the clock movement always are in one direction and tend to drive it in the normal direction regardless of the position or operation of the rewinding mechanism.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away, of a clock mechanism embodying my invention and Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1.

A motor 1 operates, through a pinion 2, an intermediate gear wheel 3 that engages a gear wheel 4 which is mounted on a collar 5. The collar 5 is also provided with a gear wheel 6 and is loosely mounted on a shaft 7. The collar, 5 is prevented from moving longitudinally on the shaft 7 by two pins 8. The shaft 7 is journaled in plates 9 and 10 and it is provided with a gear wheel 13 and a drum 11 on which paper 12 is wound. The inner end 14 of a main spring 15 is connected to the shaft 7 and a carriage 16 is loosely suspended from the shaft 7 at two points 17 and 18. A gear wheel 21 and a spring case 19. having the outer end 20 of the spring 15 attached thereto, are also loosely mounted on the shaft 7. The carriage 16 is provided with a shaft 22 having a gear wheel 23 thereon that engages and its other end is connected to a stationary pin 30. The carriage 16 has a protruding screw head 31 on one of its sides that engages a recess 32 in a metal strip 33 which is attached to the plate 9.

A pendulum 31 is suspended by a flexible fiat spring 35 to operate a lever 36 that is attached to a double escapement pallet 87. The pallet 37 engages an escapement wheel 38 that is mounted on a shaft 39. The shaft 39 is also provided with a pinion 10 that engages a gear wheel 11 which is mounted 011 a shaft 12. A pinion 43 is also mounted on the shaft 42 and engages the gear wheel 13 to limit the movement of the shaft 7 and hence the unwinding of the spring 15. The double escapement pallet 37 is mounted on a shaft 11 which, with the shafts 39 and 42, is journaled in the plates 9 and 10.

The operation of the clock is as follows: The drum 11 is rotated continuously by the action of the spring 15 until its torque decreases to such a value that it is overcome by the force exerted by the spring 29 which moves the carriage 16 against the restraining force of the detent 32 and the screw 31 to effect the engagement of the terminals 27 and 2S and the bridging contact member 26. The engagement of the contact terminals and the bridging contact member closes the circuit of the motor 1 to permit the same to operate. When the motor 1 operates, it operates the gear wheel 3 through the pinion 2, as hereinbefore stated. The gear wheel 3 operates the gear wheel 4 and hence the gear wheel 6 that is mounted on the collar 5. The collar 5 rotates loosely on the shaft 7, and the gear wheel 6 operates the gear wheel 23 *on the shaft 22 which, through the pinion 24;, operates the gear wheel 21 to 1 wind the spring 15. The winding action continues until the torque of the spring 15 becomes sulticiently high to overcome the force of the spring 29 and to lift the screw head 31 out of the recess 32. Then the spring 15, acting through the gear wheel 21 and the pinion 21%, tends to rotate the shaft 22 and the gear wheel 23, but is prevented from so doing by the pawl 25 which causes the whole carriage 16 to turn to open'the circuit of the motor 1 by disengaging the contact member 26 from the contact terminals 27 and 28. It will be understood that the spring 15 drives the drum 11 continuously, governed by the escapement wheel 38 and the pendulum 34. Thus, the same cycle of events occurs every time the spring is sufficiently unwound.-

Since modifications may be effected within the spirit and scope of my invention, I desire that only such limitations shall be imsaid main spring on the said carriage, means for winding the said main spring, and means attached to the said carriage for controlling the said means for Winding the said main spring.

2. A self-winding clock comprising a main spring, a pivoted member operatively connected to one end of the said main spring and having means for controlling the Winding of the main spring, an auxiliary spring having one of its ends operatively connected to the said pivoted member, and means for restrainingthe' said pivoted member alternately in two predetermined positions.

3. A self-Winding clock comprising a shaft, a main spring having one of its ends attached to the said shaft, a pivoted carriage, a gear wheel pivoted on the said carriage, means for operatively connecting the other end of the said main spring to the said gear wheel, a pawl mounted on the said carriage and adapted to engage the said gear wheel, and an auxiliary spring having one end attached to said carriage for opposing the action of the said main spring on the said carriage.

4. A self-Winding clock comprising a main spring, a pivoted member having means for controlling the Winding of the main spring, means for operatively connecting the said main spring to the said pivoted member, and an auxiliary spring operatively connected to the said pivoted member for opposing the action of the said main spring.

5. A self-winding clock comprising a main spring, a pivoted member having a movable contact member attached thereto, means controlled by the movable contact member for winding the said main spring, and an auxiliary spring for opposing the action of the said main spring on the said pivoted member. 1

(5. A self-winding clock comprising a main spring, a pivoted member having a movable contact member attached thereto, means controlled by the said movable contact member for winding the said main spring, an auxiliary spring for opposing the action of the saidmain spring on the said pivoted member, and means for restraining the movement of the said pivoted member.

7. In a clock, the combination With a main shaft, :1 main spring and an escapement mechanism, of a member pivoted on the said main shaft and having a bridging contact member thereon, a gear wheel pivoted on the said pivoted member, an electro-responsive device operatively connected to the said gear wheel, and a pawl operatively connected to the said pivotally mounted member and adapted to engage the said gear wheel, said pawl being adapted to permit the rotation of said gear wheel when the main spring is being wound and to operate the said pivoted member under predetermined conditions of operation.

8. In a clock, the combination with a main shaft, a main spring and an escapement mechanism, of a member pivoted on the said main shaft and having a bridging contact member thereon, a gear wheel piv-.

oted on the said pivoted member, a motor controlled by the said contact member for winding the said main spring, said motor being operatively connected to the said gear wheel, a pawl operatively connected to the said pivoted member and adapted to engage the said gear wheel, and means for restraining the said pivoted member alternately in tWo predetermined positions.

9. In a clock, the combination with a main shaft, a main spring having its inner end attached to the said main shaft, and a winding motor for the said main spring, of a carriage loosely mounted on the said shaft, a collar loosely mounted on the said shaft and operatively connected to the said winding motor, a gear wheel mounted on the said collar, a second shaft mounted on the said carriage and having a gear wheel thereon that engages the gear wheel on the said collar, a pinion ion the said second shaft, a third gear wheel loosely mounted on the said main shaft and having the other end of the said main spring attached thereto,

said third gear wheel being adapted to engage thesaid pinion on the said second shaft, contact members mounted on the said carriage for controlling the circuit of the said motor, means for restraining the carriage in two predetermined positions, and means operatively connected to the said carriage to prevent the said second gear wheel from. rotating backWa-rdly.

10. In a clock mechanism, the combination with a main shaft and a main spring one end of which is attached to the said shaft, of a Winding means for the said spring, a carriage loosely mounted on the said shaft, a collar also loosely mounted on the said shaft, means for operatively connecting the said collar to the said Winding means, a gear Wheel also mounted on the said collar, a second shaft mounted on the said carriage and having a gear Wheel thereon that is engaged by the gear wheel on the said collar, a pinion on the said second shaft, :1 third gear wheel loosely mounted on the said main shaft and havingone end of the said main spring attached thereto, said third gear wheel being adapted to engage the said pinion on the said second shaft, means mounted on the said carriage for controlling the Winding meansin accordance with the torque on thesald main spring, a resilient means so connected to the sald carriage as to oppose the torque of the said main spring,

1913. v HAROLD B. TAYLOR.

Witnesses:

B. H. SMITH, B. B. HINES. 

